[AMP-L] Comparisons of AK socket types?

[Lawrence G. Hunsicker]

Good evening to all.

First time post for me.  I am interested in where I can find fair 
(non-partial) comparisons of the various types of AK sockets and 
suspension systems.  I am a fairly new RAK (Jan 07) working now on my 
provisional leg but looking forward to a "definitive" prosthesis in the 
not too distant future.

I am actually quite grateful for the leg I have now.  In my opinion it 
beats crutching around everywhere, which is still very tiring, and it 
lets me hold on to things as I walk.  But there are several things that 
are annoying:

a)  When I sit down (which I must confess I do more of now) it feels 
like I am sitting on one of the kitchen drain boards.  Not cool.

b)  I have virtually no rotation of my right hip.  So my foot gets in 
the way when I am trying to get in or out of a car, or when I am trying 
to drive (automatic shift, using my left leg), etc..

c)  Sweating and so forth.

I sort of think that there isn't much that I can do about b), since I 
gather that the socket has to capture my ischial tuberosity pretty 
rigidly to avoid the socket twisting on my leg.  My prosthetist tells me 
that he can put a gizmo above the knee that will let me rotate the lower 
leg to move the foot out of the way.  I gather, too, that there are 
various suspension methods (e.g., silicone sleeve) that help with the 
sweating and so forth.  But I'd love to find an objective, not sales 
pitched, description of the various socket types (quad, narrow ML, 
ischial containment, MAS, socketlessl etc.) and attachment methods to 
help me figure out what I want in my definitive leg.  All I seem to find 
are testimonials to one system or another.

Any of you have any pointers to such information?

Thanks in advance for whatever help you can give me.

Larry Hunsicker
-- 
Lawrence G. Hunsicker
lhunsicker at mchsi.com